The present invention relates to a remote troubleshooting system to conduct a troubleshooting of a vehicle.
Automotive vehicles are equipped with many electronic devices that install high-density electric components therein. Recently, semiconductor components that can perform even in a considerably high temperature circumference for installation in an engine room have been used.
Herein, in general, performance characteristics or reliability function of such semiconductor components are just based on prediction of the reliability of a sample component that is conducted before their mass production. Namely, the product screening, such as a circumference resistance test, or a reliability test, before shipping is not conducted to all of products. Meanwhile, car production companies do not conduct tests to each of the supplied components either.
Accordingly, there may occur some performance deterioration or trouble of electric components after introduction of the vehicles equipped with the components into markets to a certain extent. In particular, a likelihood rate of the trouble occurrence may increase in a case where the semiconductor components are used in a circumference of abnormally sever usage conditions. Especially, change of the user's usage circumference, usage conditions, usage term, usage frequency of an automotive vehicle is relatively large, so the trouble occurrence rate of the vehicle-onboard semiconductor components in the markets may be expected to be higher than that of other components.
Meanwhile, many reports of deterioration or trouble regarding an O2 sensor have been made as a problem of the engine control characteristics. This problem generally occurs more often when the engine load condition change rapidly, i.e., at a transient driving condition, compared to a stable engine load condition. This means that if traveling data of vehicles in a traveling situation where the trouble occurrence rate is high can be collected from many vehicles at real timing, a proper prediction of trouble occurrence and an indication of causes of troubles may be expected.
From this viewpoint, various types of troubleshooting technology of vehicles have been proposed.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0103583 A1 discloses a troubleshooting system that is coupled to a vehicle via a network to conduct a troubleshooting to portions having trouble. Herein, the system is remotely connected to the vehicle, so a vehicle's user can conveniently know if the vehicle has any problem, or portions having trouble without bringing the vehicle into a service shop.
Also, US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0087238 A1 discloses a vehicle management system, in which learned values such as air-fuel ration, ignition timing, are accumulated in a data base, and an abnormality is determined when the learned values get out of their normal range and then notified to a user or the like before any actual trouble has occurred to the vehicle. Thus, the condition of each vehicle can be managed properly, thereby preventing of the trouble occurrence in advance.
Stress factors that may cause any trouble of the semiconductor component of an automotive vehicle may comprise a heat shock, a heat cycle, a power cycle, a humidity, a vibration, and so on. The stress factors may cause an increase of a leak electric current due to deterioration of connecting portions in a semiconductor chip, deterioration of an eclectic connection on a soldering surface of terminals, increase of a contact resistance due to a mechanical breakage, and eventually bring up malfunction of a unit itself.
Especially, an inside of the engine room of a vehicle, i.e., heat, vibration, humidity, would provide a rather sever circumference to the semiconductor components. Accordingly, remote monitoring of circumference changing with checking of characteristics of an electric control unit (ECU) may contribute greatly to an early finding of troubles or a prediction of trouble occurrence.